


Hidden Love

by karlbourbon



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 03:45:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1925571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karlbourbon/pseuds/karlbourbon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bones gets sent on a scavenger hunt, but he's not exactly thrilled.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hidden Love

Leonard sat down at his desk with a huff. He would never understand how the crew of the Enterprise could be called the best and brightest when so many of them were so careless. Something shining on his desk caught the corner of his eye, distracting him from his thoughts of the accident down in engineering that had caused him to spend his morning treating multiple officers with burns on their hands. He smiled when he realized what it was—a silver foil-wrapped chocolate kiss. Leave it to Jim to anticipate Leonard having a difficult day.

A chocolate kiss pick-me-up was not a new occurrence; it had started at the academy. When Leonard found himself having a bad day, there was always a chocolate kiss with a note from Jim to be found. He had no idea how Jim knew, but every time without fail, finding the candy and note always cheered him up.

The first time a kiss had appeared, Leonard had been confused as to where it had come from. Though Jim never said anything about the chocolate or notes, after it happened a few more times, Leonard caught on to the fact that really it could only Jim leaving them for him to find.

Sometimes, especially when Jim was working on a paper, the notes had a tendency to be almost philosophical. _Do we shape our own destiny or are some things just fated?_

Occasionally there would be a question Jim had been pondering. _Is it possible for some rocks to be alive?_

Leonard caught on quickly that this was one of Jim’s ways to get back in his good graces after evenings spent with regen units, cuts, blood, and bruises. He knew he shouldn’t let Jim get away with it, but he couldn’t deny his soft spot for the kid.

Most of the time Leonard would find stupid puns. After a particularly grueling xenobiology exam, Leonard found a kiss on the counter in his bathroom. _The astronomer quit his job to become a barber. Eclipse hair now._ Leonard barked out a laugh before unwrapping the chocolate and popping it in his mouth.

Sometimes even when he wasn’t having a bad day there would be a candy and note waiting for him when he got back from his last class of the day.

_Roses are red_  
 _Violets are blue_  
 _But they aren’t nearly as pretty_  
 _When compared to you_

As sappy and lame as it was, Leonard couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from turning up in a smile as he bustled about getting ready for his clinic shift.

Now, Leonard was sprawled in his chair in his office on the Enterprise. Jim hadn’t left any chocolate kisses and notes for him in a while—a five year mission captaining the Fleet’s flagship kept Jim fairly busy. He would often be reading reports before bed, Leonard curled against his side. And it wasn’t uncommon for him to fall asleep while doing it, waking up with his glasses askew and PADD dropped on the floor.

Leonard was eager to see what sort of dumb question or pun Jim had for him this time. He unfolded the note, read it, and frowned.

_I am the thrumming heart_  
 _Of the fair lady herself_  
 _Engineers declare_  
 _I am a work of art_  
 _Though dangerous I may be_  
 _Indispensable you will find me_  
 _For when gravity comes a’ calling_  
 _I will keep you from falling._

_Find me._

Jim had never written him a riddle before.

"Dammit, Jim, I don’t have time to go gallivanting all over the ship on some wild goose chase," Leonard muttered out loud. He glanced at the chrono that showed he had two hours left of his shift and he resolved to ponder Jim’s scavenger hunt then.

oOo

Leonard entered his and Jim’s quarters as noisily as he could. Jim’s shift had long been over and was most likely in their room; Leonard wanted him to know just what he thought about the stupid scavenger hunt he had been sent on. He had been all over the ship: down to engineering and crawling through a Jefferies tube, buried in a small box avalanche in his own medical bay’s supply closet, and almost attacked by one of Sulu’s plants in the botany lab. The ship’s kitchen had been his favorite place to hunt for the chocolate kiss and the next clue; the cook had just finished cooling fresh, non-replicated pecan pie, one of Leonard’s favorites, and wouldn’t let him be on his way without having a huge slice.

Jim waved in acknowledgement from the couch where he was reading a PADD as Leonard stalked past him, grumbling as he went. The last clue had sent him to their bedroom. After stubbing his toe and rifling through two wrong drawers, he finally located the chocolate kiss and it’s note. The search in the kitchen had been a few hours ago and Leonard decided to eat the candy he had just found before reading the next clue. He unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth, humming happily as the rich flavor burst on his tongue. Leonard had no idea how Jim managed to get real chocolate on the Enterprise; he chose to believe it was a captain perk rather than something illegal like Scotty’s still in engineering.

Leonard unfolded the note and felt his heart skip a beat. _Will you marry me?_ It was written in Jim’s messy scrawl so there could be no mistake. He whirled around with intent to ask Jim about it, only to see Jim down on one knee next to the bed.

"You sent me through a Jefferies tube," was not what he had been intending to say, but nonetheless, that’s what came out of Leonard’s mouth. "You sent me on a _scavenger hunt_ that ended in you _proposing_ in our _quarters?_ ”

Jim stood up, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I know you’re still nervous about being in space sometimes or I would have done it on the observation deck.”

Leonard opened his mouth to reply, but Jim continued on.

"I know I bring work home a lot, but in here I feel we’re just us. Just Jim and Bones. And people sometimes pick some meaningful spot to propose at right? Well," Jim set the ring box on the side table and jumped on the bed, kneeling with his arms spread wide. "I love this bed. I love falling asleep with you wrapped around me. And I love waking up wrapped around you. I love having some of the best sex of my life with you in this bed. I love you." Jim smiled, open and honest, his heart on display, and dropped his arms to his side. "Marry me?"

Leonard quirked an eyebrow as he took the steps necessary to bring him in front of Jim. “ _Some_ of the best?”

Jim (who at least had the decency to look a little sheepish) opened his mouth to defend himself, but Leonard cut him off. “Darlin’, I’ve been married and let me tell you, there ain’t nothin’ better than _married_ sex.”

Jim swallowed hard and Leonard smirked at the quickly growing tent in Jim’s trousers.

"You gonna be able to keep up, darlin?"

"You’re on," Jim smirked. "But now, how about a real chocolate kiss?" His hands reached for Leonard’s waist and tugged him in closer for a heated kiss.

When they pulled away panting, it was Leonard’s turn to smirk. “Wanna have ‘we just got engaged’ sex?”

Jim’s response was to pull Leonard all the way onto the bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my darling duckie for the riddle <3


End file.
